NAPM STATEMENT ON MUMBAI TERROR ATTACK

National Alliance of People's Movements

29-30, 'A' Wing First Floor, Haji Habib Building,Naigaon Cross Road , Dadar ( East) Mumbai- 400014
Phone: 91-22-24150529 , E-mail: napmindia@gmail.com
_____________________________________________________________________________
29-11-2008
NAPM STATEMENT ON MUMBAI TERROR ATTACK

We at NAPM unequivocally condemn with shock and deep anguish the brazen and brutal terror attacks in Mumbai that have claimed over 250 lives, and injured about 300 people besides creating mayhem at CST, the lifeline of ordinary toiling Mumbaikar; the Hotel Taj, Oberoi Trident, Nariman House and other places where people were trapped, tortured and killed over 3 days.

We pay homage to all the people who lost their life and limb in this dastardly attack, including all those invisible ordinary Mumbaikars from different states whose death at CST will never make headlines and many of whose dead bodies, their beloved families will never see again, thanks to a callous administration that demanded thousands of rupees for their bodies to be sent back. Our heart goes out to the kith and kin of every person affected by this gruesome crime in this poignant moment.

We salute the selfless police officials, courageous and humane National Security Guards and all commandoes and Marcos who staked their lives until the last person was rescued. The state would do well by providing them appropriate working conditions and timely paraphernalia, instead of just paying posthumous homage. We also underline with fullest appreciation the public spirited compassion of the people who in their own way were part of the brave effort to protect life at extreme personal risk and amidst incalculable trauma, some even losing their lives.

We strongly feel that the Government should take this incident as the final lesson in addressing all the faultlines in its security administration and intelligence failure. Instead of indulging in a wild goose chase and persecuting innocent persons, especially youth from selected communities, buckling under political vested interests and exhausting limited resources, the police and intelligence department must take serious and solid action in all such cases with strict adherence to the Constitution. Government servants who err in their duty, howsoever high they might be, must be held accountable. The Government must also seriously begin to initiate the process of pro-people police reforms and delink the police department from political pressure.

Head-on attacks of such a scale are unprecedented and in a way a consequence of corrupt, sectarian and vicious electoral party politics, demonstrating the crumbling governance and weakening of democracy. It is high time that we, as a nation, reflect on and press for radical and holistic electoral reforms, which will ensure that people don't occupy positions of power through undemocratic, corrupt and familial means. The Reforms should explicitly provide for the Right to Recall any legislator and parliamentarian, who fails to safeguard the constitutionally guaranteed rights of the people.

We also fervently appeal to the general public not to succumb to the misconception that draconian laws are panacea to terrorism. More terror laws do not increase security. The country has enough laws to tackle terror. What is required is proper and fair implementation and better coordination between different state agencies.

We also call upon all peace loving people from India and our neighbour state Pakistan to press upon the two Governments to have a no-nonsense approach towards restoring peace in the South Asian region. The peace process, including dialogue and trade between India and Pakistan should continue, notwithstanding such incidents aimed at disrupting progress in mutual harmony. Peace-building efforts must be genuinely taken forward beyond rhetoric and translate into serious action.

Let all our actions lead towards healing and mitigation of all kinds of hate, mistrust, parochial regionalism and communal mudslinging.

Sandeep Pandey D. Gabriele P. Chennaiah Aruna Roy

Mukta Srivastava Medha Patkar Sanjay M.G. Anand Mazgaonkar

PMO to get people’s views on Ganga Expressway

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/pmo-to-get-peoples-views-on-gang...

PMO to get people’s views on Ganga Expressway
Neha Attre

Posted: Nov 18, 2008 at 0123 hrs IST

Lucknow, November 17 A feedback from the stakeholders in Ganga Expressway Project will be submitted to the Prime Minister Office by the end of next month.

Apart from the Expressway, the data - collected from government officials, ministers and people whose livelihood is associated with Ganga — will be on the conservation of the river, said environmentalist Rajendra Singh. The people consulted will be from Uttranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand.

“The report by the Ganga Conservation Directorate, prepared at a local level, will be discussed at the state level before being submitted to the PMO,” said Singh.

The time allotted is 45 days, “but we will definitely finish the work by December 31,” he said.

The meeting on “Save Ganga Campaign” was organised by National Alliance of People's Movement, Jal Biradari and Asha Parivar in Lucknow on Monday. Regarding the failure of Ganga Action Plan, Singh said it was due to a lack of public interest and commitment on part of government. “To make the plan successful now, the government needs to work in collaboration with the people,” he said.

Singh also put forth his own demands related to the construction of the Expressway. These include:

* Uninterrupted Flow Duration Curve at identified 27 points
* No discharge of dirty water in the river

Complaints

List of recent complaints that have been forwarded to the authorities

1. Nasbandi situation in Chawan, Bharavan, Hardoi
Women who had children even after 'nasbandi' and are continuously ill and have not received any medicines
http://ashaparivar.org/cms/files/bharavan/nasbandi.pdf

2. Janani Surakhsha Yojna at Bharavan PHC
PhoolMati (husband Raj Kishore) from Alamkheda gave birth at PHC. Rs 1400 was given after 1 month, no food or medicines given. Moreover ANM took Rs. 250.
Poonam devi from Shivpuri gave birth at PHC on the floor using Torch. No medicine was given. ANM kalavati gave wrong injection and took 50 Rs. Due to negligence the child died.
http://ashaparivar.org/cms/files/bharavan/janani_suraksha_yojna1.pdf

Similar complaint from Sahiapur, that the doctor was not present at 9 AM and delivery done by nurse leading to death of child http://ashaparivar.org/cms/files/bharavan/janani_suraksha_yojna2.pdf

Similar complaint from Banni village in Bharavan, Hardoi regarding child death due to negligence.
http://ashaparivar.org/cms/files/bharavan/janani_suraksha_yojna3.pdf

3. The condition of Mid Day Meal at Lauly in Bharavan where the meal is not being cooked.
http://ashaparivar.org/cms/files/bharavan/lauly/primary_school_no_mdm.pd...

4. For the last 7 months, no work has been done under NREGA in Bengalpur, Bharavan, Hardoi
http://ashaparivar.org/cms/files/bharavan/bengalpur/no_work_bengalpur.pd...

5. Situation of cut cards in Bengalpur, Mahuwa Danda
http://ashaparivar.org/cms/files/bharavan/bengalpur/cut_cards_bengalpur....

Bharavan - Primary Health Center's conditions

News paper articles regarding the state of Bharavan Primary Health Centers

http://ashaparivar.org/cms/files/PHC_paper_cutting1.pdf
http://ashaparivar.org/cms/files/PHC_paper_cutting2.pdf

SOLIDARITY FAST IN SUPPORT OF BINAYAK SEN

TEN-DAY FAST IN PROTEST AGAINST THE BLACK LAWS AND FOR RELEASE OF Dr. BINAYAK SEN, AJAY T G AND OTHERS
(16th to 25th June, 2008)

To sign up for solidarity fast or to endorse the campaign to free Dr Sen, visit here: http://www.ashaparivar.org/petition/binayaksen/

Dear friends,

A 10-day Fast beginning 16th June, 2008, is being organized at Raipur in Chhattisgarh to express solidarity with Dr. Binayak Sen (Medical Doctor), Ajay T G (Film Maker) - both members of the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), and many others detained under the draconian Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act 2005, and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (1967) amended in 2004.

These draconian laws sanction the violation of due process by the state, and thus contravene internationally accepted norms of jurisprudence as well as democratic governance. As Senior Advocate K G Kannabiran, National President of PUCL, India, argues in his letter to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the CSPSA and UAPA operate by criminalizing the very performance of civil liberties activities, and culpability is decided upon not by direct proof, but through guilt by association.

The PUCL-Chhattisgarh Unit, with Dr. Binayak Sen's active leadership as its General Secretary, had exposed the government sponsored so-called campaign Salwa-Judum in Chhattisgarh which legitimizes extra-constitutional violence and pits adivasis against adivasis.

All Available Data from Social Audits, RTI Applications, and Other Sources

- Detailed Data for 34 Village Panchayats and summary of findings from Social Audit of NREGS Expenditures in Behender Block, Uttar Pradesh, May 2007
www.ashaparivar.org/cms/files/SocialAuditNREGA_Behender.doc

Muster Roll Data from Samoudha panchayat of Behender Block
http://ashaparivar.org/cms/files/Muster_Roll_Samoudha_2006_153.xls

- Village wise data tables and field reports from Social Audit of NREGS Expenditures in 50 Village Panchayats of Bharawan and Sandila Blocks, Uttar Pradesh, Nov 2006
www.ashaparivar.org/cms/files/SocialAuditNREGA_Bharawan_Sand_2006.doc

Data provided by Government and data available from physical verification of govt records as audited by Asha Parivar volunteers

NREGS

Govt muster roll and measurement books data

Social Audit data

MLA and MP LAD Funds

Income Expenditure Details
- Village Panchayat
- Block Panchayat

Zila Panchayat

BPL and Antyodaya Scheme Beneficiaries List

Indira Awas Beneficiaries List

RTI Campaign News- Andhra Pradesh

RIGHT TO INFORMATION CAMPAIGN IN ANDHRA PRADESH

Organiser: United Forum for RTI Campaign – A.P.

Dates: 21st May to 26th May, 2007

Venues: Outside District offices including that of Collector’s, Mandal offices, Municipal offices all thoughout Andhra Pradesh.

Activities: Volunteers, including members of civil society organisations, will help common citizens understand the RTI Act, in drafting their applications under the Act and getting it submitted to the concerned Public Information Officer or Assistant PIO.

A Helping Hand

Since the last 2-3 years i have been thinking to get associated with some group as Ashaparivar and be of some help to people who actually need it...It gives me great satisfaction and happiness when i see organisations such as this working so sincerely & whole heartedly towards betterment of the society and solving the common people's problems in a systematic way.I feel Ashaparivar is a great platform to work for the general mass and to be the connecting link between the government and the people.I hope to keep working with the organisation as long as i can and contribute in my own little ways.

THIRD DEATH UNRAVELED AT IIT KANPUR

PRESS RELEASE

Dated: 22nd September, 2007

THIRD DEATH UNRAVELED AT IIT KANPUR

More skeletons are falling from the cupboard of Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. The prestigious and world renowned Institute seems to have a practice of suppressing information about untimely deaths of daily wage workers on the campus.

Following the revelation of deaths of 12 years old Rohit by snake/scorpion bite followed by refusal by IIT Medical Centre to treat him on the pretext that he was not an employee’s son and 24 years old Udayvir Yadav by electric shock from his own welding machine on 26th and 30th August, 2007, respectively, information about whom IIT administration first tried to suppress, there were murmurs of a third death. Now it is confirmed that Mohammad Rustam, resident of Malda, W. Bengal, aged between 50-55 years, died around 26th July, 2007, due to snake/scorpion bite in the early hours like Rohit. He is survived by 3 sons and 3 daughters. He used to work at the Core Lab construction site near Wind Tunnel and SIDBI Centre on campus. His dead body was shipped out silently of the campus in a tractor trolley and buried in a graveyard near a Mosque in Naramau. The Mukhiya of his village was summoned and the matter was ‘settled.’

The nexus of IIT administration and contractors first tried to summarily dispose of these case so that neither are liable for the deaths. In spite of the best efforts by IIT Director to strangle right to expression by placing a ban on anybody from IIT officially approaching the media, the news about three deaths leaked out. Some IIT professors also feel indignant that the stories of deaths have been revealed to the outside world. They are not so much concerned about the families of the dead or the poor working conditions of the workers who have made it possible for them to enjoy world class material facilities on the campus.

The insensitive and cold attitude of IIT community to the deaths of daily wage workers and shoddy manner in which they are dealt must by strongly condemned. It shows IIT in very poor light so far its respect for human rights record is concerned. The guilty at the Medical Centre, at least in the case of Rohit’s death, must be punished and dependents of deceased must be immediately compensated. The IIT administration must put in place a transparent and verifiable system for ensuring due rights of the daily wage workers under the law of the land. Health care for families of workers, education for their children and good quality housing (to prevent incidents like snake/scorpion bites) is the minimum basic responsibility of IIT if it is to live up to its reputation of a world class institution.

Sandeep Pandey
National Convenor, National Alliance of People’s Movements

Irom Sharmila Solidarity Fast

Join the solidarity fast or endorse the campaign: Click here to go to the petition page

View the Report of the First Day of Solidarity Fast in Imphal
View the Report of the Second Day of Solidarity Fast in Imphal
Additional reports of the Irom Solidarity Fast Campaign